Two Table Runners

I gave my friend, Pat, her Christmas gift early so that she can use it during the holiday season.  I used some more HST's from the charm pack that I found in my sewing room a few weeks ago to make this table runner. She really likes snowmen so it fit the bill perfectly. 

This past week, I quilted and bound my Tiny Street table runner-- this one is for me.  I learned how to make the tiny houses and trees in an online class through the Threadhouse Academy.  This particular class was taught by Jo Avery.  She gave lots of ideas of things to make with the tiny houses and trees (pouches, bags, quilts etc.) but I decided to make a table runner for a table in my living room. It fits perfectly and will be out on display after Christmas. I quilted it with 28 wt medium gray thread in a wonky waffle pattern.  The backing was in my stash and was purchased in Newfoundland when we were there on vacation in 2023.  I decided to match the binding to the fabrics in the runner.  This took a bit of extra effort but I think it was worth it. 

Finn wanted to show you what my daughter has been working on in her spare time...  This will be repeated three more times until the centre is shaped like a circle and then more borders get added on.  

I started a new book today.  My daughter gave me this one for Christmas last year and I want to finish it before Christmas this year.  Our family exchanges books each year and I am trying to read last year's books by Christmas.  It's a good thing they don't have a best before date! This one is set in Santa Fe, New Mexico  in the mid 1800's and is about a young women who moves to the area to work as a nurse/midwife.  I am only 50 pages in and I'm already hooked. 

This cardinal and his mate were eating the red berries off of our burning bush today. 

I continue to add some quilting stitches to my pineapple log cabin quilt each week.  I am finished the overall cross hatch and have started adding more quilting to this block.  This qualifies as slow stitching, for sure!

I started a small cross stitch project to work on during the holidays.  It doesn't look like much yet...maybe there will be more done by my post next week.  

Full confession...I hemmed a pair of pants this week that had been in my closet for over a year, waiting to be shortened.  It took me 15 minutes in the end.  I'm not sure why I waited so long...

I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers and Frederique and her crew.  

 

Camp Kintail Retreat Report

This post features my projects from last weekend's Crafters retreat at Camp Kintail, but first I want to show you my finished Fall cross stitch...TaDa!  I started this project at the beginning of September and have added stitches to it steadily until this week, when I added the last few.  As I have said before, I love the transparency where the trees overlap and the bright colours in this picture.  I will have it framed shortly and hang it up for the Fall next year.   I have a couple of embroidery kits that I would like to work on next, but likely won't start them for another week or two while I finish up some Christmas gifts. 

In an effort to use up all of the HST's leftover from the Winter wallhanging, I made another placemat for Meals on Wheels.  The backing fabric has tulips on it so it can be used with that side up when winter is over. 

Christine and I made zippered project bags at the retreat. One side is quilted and the other side has clear vinyl so you can see what is in the bag. 

Christine's bag is a bit bigger than mine.  We both used my black and white striped fabric for the binding. 

Here we are with our placemats for Meals on Wheels. 

I signed up for a year's worth of online classes from the Threadhouse Academy and this Tiny House table runner was made for one of the classes.  Some people made a whole quilt with Tiny Houses but I decided to just make a table runner.  It still needs to be quilted.  The houses and trees are meant to be a bit wonky--it adds personality to the project!  I would like to live in this neighbourhood!

I made these blocks by playing with my drunkard's path rulers and partial seams a few months ago.  They have been sitting in a pile in my sewing room, patiently waiting to be put together.  I managed to get this done at the retreat. 

In yet another effort to use up my bin of 2.5" squares, I made another baby quilt.  As you have probably guessed, the bin is still full of squares...  The gray background fabric was in my stash, leftover from backing another quilt. it is mostly used up now.  I should have something in my stash to use for the backing. 

A few years ago, Christine and I met Mary, a knitter, who is also a regular at the retreats and this year, she brought her friend, Elaine, along too.  The four of us hung out together for the weekend and one of the staff members at the Camp took this picture of us with some of our projects.  

The Oxford Quilters Guild is making several Quilts of Valour for injured veterans.  I took a pile of blocks to the retreat to put one of the tops together.  I also made a few more blocks to donate for the next QoV.

Finn stayed at our house for a week while our daughter was at a conference for work.  He's a smart cookie and knows exactly what our routines are when he's here.  

Finn is a specialist at looking cute. 

I will link up with Kathy and Frederique.  Hope you enjoyed the pictures of the retreat projects.  My previous post from a couple of days ago shows the finished quilt tops from the Round Robin that I organized for three friends and I earlier this year.  

Retreat Report

 I had a very productive weekend at the guild retreat last weekend.  It was glorious to have three full days to sew--meals provided and no dishes to do!  I added binding to two quilts that are gifts so I can't show those yet, but they are both hand stitched now and ready to gift.  I quilted the table runner I showed last week that will be for sale at our church bazaar next weekend and added the binding this week when I got home. I hope someone will like it enough to purchase it! I also worked on three pillows for the bazaar but forgot to take a picture.  I will do that for next week. 

I also finished off the last of my 12 placemats for Meals on Wheels.  Our guild is collecting them and they will be presented to a representative from MOW at our next meeting. 

And here are all twelve:

I made the scrappy square blocks a couple of years ago for one of my rainbow scrap challenge projects and then turned them into churn dash blocks a few months ago.  At the retreat, I added sashing, cornerstones and borders and it is now a quilt top, ready to be quilted.  I made blocks for three baby quilts at the retreat as well but can't show them here yet. 

My Winter Woods cross stitch now has some mushrooms in the woods--more trees and another mushroom  still to add. 

My daughter is making good progress on her Crochet-a-long Christmas blanket.  She is on step two of six.   Finn was oblivious to modelling the sections she worked on this week. 

The lavender in my garden is still blooming despite having several hard frosts. 

The fothergilla bush in the backyard is putting on a show right now too. 

I was happy to see that my butterfly weed has decided to plant a few seeds in my garden.  It is one of my favourite plants with its bright orange flowers. 

You know Finn and his love of sunbeams!

I will link up with Kathy and the slow Sunday stitchers, Frederique and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge folks too. 

Getting Ready for a Quilting Retreat

I am getting ready to go to the fall retreat for the Oxford Quilters Guild this weekend. I have a big bin full of projects--two just need binding, one is a pile of blocks that need to be made into a quilt top, some are Christmas gifts (secrets!), three new quilts to put together--pieces are cut already in preparation and also my last two placemats for Meals on Wheels.  I will not have time to get bored!  I finished the second secret project this past week and will not be able to show any pictures of it until it has been gifted. 

The second quadrant of my Winter Woods cross stitch is done--I love the pinecone!  I have started working on the border of the next quadrant and should have more to show next week. 

The framer called to tell me that the winter cross stitch I did last year was framed and ready to pick up. The red frame was chosen to bring out the red in the picture.  I will wait until after Remembrance Day to hang this up somewhere in my house. 

The church Christmas bazaar is coming up soon. I have been working on a winter themed table runner to put in the sale.  I also have three pillows that I am making.  I will work on these this weekend at the retreat. 

My daughter has been working on her Christmas crochet along blanket.  The centre square, a gingerbread house, is done and she is working on one of the borders. 

We went for a hike with the hiking club this weekend there was some interesting fungus on a rotting tree stump. 

Finn and our daughter went for a fun walk in the park and Finn found lots of good smells to sniff.

I will link up with Kathy on Sunday and Frederique on Saturday. 

 

Table Runner Done and Cross Stitch

 I finished the lilac stars table runner binding off last weekend for slow Sunday stitching. It is now ready for gifting! I added a lilac print stripe on the back to make it long enough. 

I managed to do some cross stitching most days this week so now I have two sunflowers done and parts of a few leaves. There are four more smaller sunflowers in this quadrant of the picture. 

My daughter has been adding more colours to her Ottawa cityscape. Finn is a good cross stitch holder, don't you think??? 

I spent some time in my sewing room this week tidying and putting things away.  I have a basket on my desk for scraps and it was overflowing--all scraps are sorted and put in the appropriate bins now.  Fabric has been folded and put away.  Miscellaneous tools and notions have been put away.  I still have a pile of papers to go through and file away.  It is looking much better!  I found my little tabletop thread catcher that had been MIA for several months under a pile...

We have been working on the gardens-- weeding, moving plants, mulching and we are just about done.  It's looking good!   The bubbling rock is bubbling again now that the pump has been installed for the season.  The clematis bloomed this week. 

 

Lots of pink and purple flowers blooming in the gardens at the moment!

Finn is enjoying spending time outside now that the weather is warmer.  His tag says "I'm a people dog". It does not lie!

I will link up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers in the morning.  Have a great week!